Nanook wrote: The additional resources spent to add multiplayer as you envision adds little if nothing to Egosoft's bottom line, so it's just not worth the effort.

Hey, if you say so. I could probably play an MMO version, as long as I can run isolated instances with friends, PVP is an optional side-element and they don't dumb down the gameplay, but meh, it would still be an MMO, and the immersion that makes space sims awesome would inevitably be broken.

My vote is on co-op. Either that, or an MMO where you never see any of the other players unless you've specifically invited them.

Q. But what about all the people who would play the game if it were multi-player? Surely the extra sales would solve the problem?
A. I'm afraid a handful of your friends don't constitute market research. The reality is that the market for space trading/combat games is finite, and it's considerably smaller than that for FPSs or RPGs. How big is that market? I don't know; I'm not a marketeer, but it shouldn't be too hard to Google for the relative active gamer base sizes for representative games in each genre. The same figures can also be used to further confirm what was said before about LAN-based games and the potential additional income they'd generate. Numerous polls on this forum have also shown that many existing fans would be put off by a multi-player element. You can argue all you like about how great you think multi-player would be, but these people disagree, which in turn cuts down the numbers.

I can't help but think the devs here are underestimating the market for such a game. Especially considering that Star Citizen just raised over 25 million dollars through crowd-funding, with no bank backing, to do essentially what people are asking for here (and more!). I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe that the profit wouldn't be there in such an endeavor, and that it would be all that hard to even crowd-fund the X universe's own multiplayer capabilities. I'd contribute, certainly.

I think you missed the point of what CBJ was saying, which is that Egosoft have done the market research and that we have not--therefore they have a better idea of the realities here than we do.

It might well be the case that Star Citizen shows there's a big market for the multiplayer space genre. It might also be the case that Star Citizen basically takes up all the players who want to play such a thing, leaving no room for anyone else to get a toehold--see WoW for how that's worked in the fantasy MMORPG genre for the past few years!

From a player standpoint, and in my case in particular, it's not an "or" situation. I intend to play both games; extensively, no less. I think the genre itself is not quite as mutually exclusive as something like MMO's are. The X universe is really captivating, and in my opinion was an oasis in a desert of sandbox space games for years upon years, a well crafted one to boot. Now, however, I think adapting to the reality that multiplayer is something that people pointedly look for in their games. It is one of the first questions I ask of a game in this category and caliber, honestly.

To see that Rebirth won't have it is a mild disappointment, but not a deal breaker and it saddens me to see that potential go unfufilled in such a promising game based on data that has been relegated as "questionable" in its reliability at best as proven by the myriad of other space sandbox games cropping up by the droves due to crowd-funding and the fervor of genre fans. Seriously, they're everywhere right now. It's a huge resurgence. Ride the wave!

There are vast numbers of titles coming out that are some kind of space multiplayer game. Try and find a new space game that isn't an MMO tho... Something where you do not have to deal with trolls, children and idiots. Basically only Egosoft making stuff like that.
It's a niche, but it's a good niche.

A fair point, which is why I am not crushed or even off-set by the fact Rebirth will be a single player game.

Since the wheels are already in motion, I ultimately look forward to X Rebirth for one simple belief: It will be the revolutionizing, "Skyrim" of the space genre, and thereby set standards for all other games to reach. Multiplayer included. As a whole, and to conclude my end of the discussion as to not let it run amok and become the domain of such sorts that you seek to avoid, I am very much looking forward to the game and even more so what it means for a genre that has been in sore need of revival.